Our exclusive series of interviews with famous chefs who are also parents concludes today with this advice from chef Charlie Palmer.

Celebrated chef Charlie Palmer has combined his creative cooking spirit and flair for business to open 13 notable restaurants across the country, including the highly acclaimed Aureole, a growing collection of food-forward wine shops, and award-winning boutique hotels. A James Beard Foundation honoree and the author of numerous cookbooks, Palmer continues to be one of the world’s most innovative and important chefs.

A father to four boys, Palmer knows a thing or two about dining out with kids. To make sure your children remain engaged, he recommends, “Remember to take something with you to entertain the kids. A fun activity between courses or after you order can really improve the overall experience. When my family dines out, we sometimes take ‘Table Topics’ with us, and then we each go around the table with a trivia card. It takes up the time between courses and everyone is entertained.”

Until you know your kids will enjoy an extended meal, Palmer says, “Don’t take them to a high-end restaurant when the experience will take multiple hours if your child doesn’t like sitting still for that long. You would be better off taking them to a restaurant that is loud, active, and a bit quicker.” Also, he adds, “If you know your child has certain food allergies, call ahead to the restaurant and see how flexible they can be with the menu to determine if it’s going to be a good situation for you.”

True to form, this chef serves food his offspring enjoy! He admits, “My kids love all of the dishes. They aren’t allowed to order anything ‘special’ anymore, they have to order off the menu and experience the food the way the chefs intended!”

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Caroline Potter

Caroline Potter is the Chief Dining Officer for OpenTable, Inc. She’s a dining trend-spotter and an OpenTable VIP, who dines out more than she eats in and has accrued more than 10,000 Dining Rewards points. Caroline started working in restaurants as a teen and she's since tackled every front-of-the-house job, from bartender and hostess to runner and server. She trained as a chef at Manhattan’s prestigious French Culinary Institute, cooking at L’Ecole. In addition to her role at OpenTable, she has written about food from farm to table for New York City’s famed Greenmarket and Edible Brooklyn and Edible East End magazines. Caroline is also a Certified Master Gardener.